Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sao Vicente Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sao Vicente

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $777 in Sao Vicente.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,276 in Sao Vicente.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $1,775 in Sao Vicente.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 189% more expensive than Sao Vicente, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Sao Vicente is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.45

$5.38 R$26.67

192.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €54.0

$31.92 R$158

97.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.82

$6.47 R$32.10

59.51%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$1.74 R$8.65

61.49%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$1.25 R$6.21

86.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.83 R$4.11

81.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.88

$1.81 R$9.00

86.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$2.72 R$13.47

43.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.01 R$5.01

6.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.74 R$8.64

0.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.40 R$6.92

25.00%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.65

$2.37 R$11.74

30.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.35

$10.99 R$54.5

20.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.71

$4.08 R$20.23

92.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.72

$8.48 R$42.04

89.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.79 R$8.86

33.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.20 R$5.93

43.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.39 R$6.89

41.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.18

$1.72 R$8.54

48.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.31 R$6.49

36.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.37 R$6.81

43.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.68

$0.97 R$4.79

102.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.94 R$4.65

-10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.83

$1.75 R$8.69

289.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €5.00

$7.64 R$37.90

-23.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.37 R$6.79

0.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.50

$2.06 R$10.20

41.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.96

$0.93 R$4.60

146.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €40.08

$38.09 R$189

23.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.52

$1.10 R$5.48

274.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.63 R$3.10

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.20

$7.69 R$38.13

146.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.08 R$5.36

93.52%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.1K €30.0K

$20.6K R$102.2K

70.50%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.7K €34.0K

$28.0K R$138.9K

41.85%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$150 €128

$52.7 R$261

183.90%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.49 €17.52

$16.04 R$79.6

27.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.47

$22.58 R$112

73.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.45

$18.06 R$89.6

174.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.80

$21.81 R$108

-15.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.86

$7.27 R$36.06

26.55%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$624 €534

$280 R$1,389

122.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$8,086 R$40.1K

96.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.4

$46.85 R$232

118.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.95

$39.11 R$194

4.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.8

$74.6 R$370

28.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$56.5 R$280

114.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,413

$248 R$1,229

567.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,054

$195 R$965

533.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,602

$755 R$3,743

303.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,761

$469 R$2,327

338.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,736

$1,707 R$8,464

361.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,679

$1,182 R$5,862

264.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,339

$395 R$1,958

296.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.21

-66.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Sao Vicente: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $248 in Sao Vicente. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 297% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $32 in Sao Vicente for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $200 per month, with Sao Vicente cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Sao Vicente: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sao Vicente differ by about 189% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $777 including rent). Sao Vicente is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 297% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $248 in Sao Vicente. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $280 in Sao Vicente. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $777 in Sao Vicente versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Vicente but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Vicente the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Sao Vicente are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sao Vicente gentler on the wallet – expenses run 189% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.